Study on Adsorption Refrigeration System Using Activated Carbon-Ethanol as Working Pair

Abstract

The adsorption refrigeration system is an alternative refrigeration system powered by thermal source so that it is possible to use waste heat and solar energy. This paper reports the experiment of the ethanol-activated carbon (AC) as the adsorbateadsorbent pair. Experimental work was conducted with two adsorption beds as thermal compressor. Ethanol-AC pair can be operated with the heat source temperatures 90o C and 100o C for different heat sink temperature 20o C, 25o C and 30o C, respectively. The experimental result shows when temperature of the hot water 100o C and the cooling water temperature 30o C, the system give the higher coefficient of performance (COP) than another testing operation condition. Additionally, the COP of the system is varying a long operating in average 0.19 due to manually intermittent operation of both adsorption beds. The maximum adsorption capacity is 0.302 kg/kg·AC while the desorption temperature, desorption pressure and heating time of the adsorption bed are 85o C, 85.52 kPa and 80 minutes, respectively, and the cooling capacity is 23.61 kJ for a operating cycle. The experimental result proved that the ethanol-AC is suitable pair with the adsorption system for cooling application. It can be operated at low temperature driven heat source, and has an environmentally friendly behavior and the working pair is easy to be found in the commercial market.